Animation Judges

Ahmed Al Mutawa

Ahmed Al Mutawa is the founder and creative force of Ego Punch Entertainment. Started in 2012, his vision for the company stems from his passion for Anime, Manga, games, and the cultures of the Far East. This creative vision has driven him to produce several original, Arabian based IP’s. The crown-jewel of Ahmed Al Mutawa’s vision for Ego Punch is, Torkaizer; an original animated series that takes place in the UAE and Gulf region. Inspired by “big robot” Animation shows and movies such as Mazinger Z and Grendizer, Mr. Al Mutawa’s Torkaizer will not only relaunch this popular and exciting genre, it will solidify the UAE as a hub for new and exciting, original Arab content. His first Manga, Solomon’s Knights, is a Supernatural horror and folklore story. This piece has been printed and distributed during conventions and shows throughout the UAE. Mr. Al Mutawa created public service announcements for The Emirates Red Crescent to show the various services offered by the organization. They were shown on TV channels across the UAE, spanning a two-year period during the month of Ramadan.

Nassma Al Bahrani

Nassma Bahrani is an experienced Animation Producer/Writer currently based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where she works at the CN Studios Arabia as Head of Production on the local award-winning series Mansour Cartoon. Her main area of expertise is developing multiplatform content for kids 7 to14 yrs. old. Nassma has earned a Bachelor Degree in Interactive Multimedia and Design from Ottawa, Canada with a concentration in Animation & Game Development. Some of her earlier projects before joining CN included writing/producing indie short films, developing a game published on Xbox Live Arcade, and conducting in depth research on Motion Capture. Outside of producing, Nassma has a passion for storytelling and has completed a Creative Fiction certificate as part of UCLA Writer’s Program. She is currently working through her first novel manuscript under the mentorship of a well-established author, and plans to commence her MFA in Fiction.

Ahmad Saleh

Ahmad Saleh’s films have received several prestigious awards, including a Golden Medal for Best Foreign Animation at the Student Academy Awards 2016. He was born in 1980 in Saudi Arabia of Palestinian origin. In the age of 18, he moved back to Palestine where he finished a bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering. Directly after graduating, Ahmad worked in different art fields; he has also completed his first collection of short stories and worked as an art director. In 2007, Ahmad moved to Germany where he did two master degrees in arts, one in Digital Media at the University of Arts Bremen (HFK) and the other in film writing and directing at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM). He has directed three short films. Currently, Ahmad is working on making his fourth short film and writing his first feature.